Bitumen product.



H. B. PULLAR.

BITUMEN PRODUCT. APPLICATION men JUNE 8,1916.

' Patented Dew. 4, 191?.

nrrmvinn rnonoor.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. d, ZWT'T.

- Application filed June 8, 1916. Serial No. 102,427.

' tion.

My invention relates to improvements in bitumen products, and the purpose of my invention is to provide a product of this character which, because of its construction, formation and characteristics, is capable of'a wide variety of uses such as expansion joints for pavements, insulation, water-proofing and roofing. i

In the drawing I illustrate one embodiment of my invention adapted for use as packing material in connection with expansion joints for pavements and in fact wherever expansion joints are provided for, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after having obtained an understanding of my inventionfrom the disclosures herein made, that the principles of my invention are capable of application to various other uses, without departing fromthe scope and spirit of my invention and I wish it so understood.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a strip or slab of improved material in the process of construcexpansion joint strip.

tion, Fi ure 1 being a diagrammatic View illustrating the rocess of forming a slab or strip of bitumlnous compound or asphalt of such character as adapted for expansion joints for pavements.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but illustrating my improved method of combining or incorporating-thefabric with the body of the slab or strip.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a completed It has been the practice in the past to construct expansion joints in tWo general ways. viz., by pouring or forming the joint at the place where the joint is to be installed, and by previously preparing the joint at a plant or factory so that it may be installed at any time and place. The former method merely consisted in heating the bitumen or asphalt or whatever compound or material 1s used, to a molten state and pouring a quant1ty of such melted material in the space provlded for the joint. The expansion oint produced in this manner, while 1t has certain advantages, is expensive, inconvenient and slow to handle and it lacks uniformity and tensile strength. In accordance wlth the latter method it is the practlce to formthe joints of long fiat strips or slabs of bltuminous or asphalt material and incorporate therein either on the outer faces or throughout the interior, cloth, fabrics or other materials such as roofing paper, felt,

Gill

and the like, for the purpose of giving the slabs tensile strength. It has even been attempted to use a mixture of ingredients such as pulverized roofing paper, sand, silica and a bituminous binder 1n various proportions. These various types have been more or less unsuccessful because of various inherent conditions. For instance where the fabric or cloth 1s used on the outer face or faces of the slabs or strips the fabric entirely destroys the bonding efi'ect or adherence of the strip wlthrespect to the pavement sections, and the olnt works out of position. On the other hand where the fabric is incorporated throu h the center of the joint strip, it has the e ect of dividing the strip into two sectlons which in time separate and work out of place. So also where alternate layers of bltumen and felt, cloth or paper are used it not 0 only divides the strip into numerous sectlons but decreases the resilient quantities of the joint and destroys its ability to follow the movement of the pavement sections. I have con ce1ved the idea of embedding or incorporatmg a fabric into the slab or strip in proximity to one or both faces of strip, but

istics. Furthermore the material is confined by the fabric against spreading or workmg out of place. In making a joint in accordance'wlth my invention I take a quantity of pure asphalt or bituminous compound or suitable, substance for the purpose, such as indicated at'A in the drawing and roll or otherwise form it into a flat slab B of the required thickness. I have indicated a pair of rolls C for this purpose but it is understood that any usual or approved form of apparatus may be employed. I then incorporate a layer of cloth or fabric D preferably in both sides of the slab, although where the product is to be used for roofing boards for instance, this fabric may be 1ncorporated in one side only of the slab.

' This fabric D is of such structure that its v difierent directions so as to form a layer or stratum thereof, the essential requirement being that these cords be laid so as to provide spaces therebetween. I find in practice that a fabric having a mesh of about 140 to.

150 openings per square inch is best adapted for this purpose because the mesh openings are of sufficient size for the purpose and at the same time the fabric 1mparts to the structure a suflicient tensile strength. In

practice I apply the fabric to the body .of

bituminous material which is resilient or of a sort of. rubbery consistency by mechanically pressing or otherwise forcing it into the surfaces of the slab to the proper degree and then subjecting the surface portions of the slab to a heating process which melts the bituminous material and causes it to pass through the fabric and intimately intermingle therewith, this being practically impossible where a close woven fabric is used. This I find to be best accomplished by passing the slab with the fabric therewith between a set or sets of rolls E which are heated to a degree suflicient to melt the bituminous material. This flows the bituminous material through and around the openings of the fabric and thoroughly and 1ntimately. associates the fabric material and forms an integrally connected thin bonding film on the outer surface of the fabric. Not only this but the melted bituminous compound or asphalt where cloth or paper fabric or cords are used thoroughly impregnates the fabric and very effectively preserves it against deterioration indefinitely after the joint has been installed in place. Of course, it is understoodthat the heating of the surface portions of the body of the material is not sufiicient to distort or other- Wise affect the'main portion or body thereof. The resulting product, which is illustrated as complete in Fig. 3 of the drawing, constitutes in a sense an integral unit which can be made in large quantities in the plant or factory and conveniently handled and shipped to the place where it is to be used. When installed in position between the sections of pavement the fact that it has a portion or film of the bituminous body on its outer surfaces causes it to bind or adhere to the pavement sections as readily and efficiently as in a poured joint. Of course in the actual manufacture the slabs are preferably made considerably larger in area than that required for a single expansion joint, but when the product 15 to be used as an expansion joint this large slab may be cut in any desired manner into strips of the proper width. Where the product is to be used as roofing board for instance, the slab of course would be cut to the required size for this purpose. Furthermore where the product is used for roofing purposes it might be found advisable to eliminate the fabric from one side thereof, but of course this is a matter of choice and dependent upon the various conditions and requirements.

I claim;

1. Packing material for the purposes described comprising a body of resilient asphaltic material in flat slab like form having in intimate association therewith adjacent and substantially parallel with its surfaces an open Woven fabric, said asphaltic material extending through the fabric, so that the material on one side of the fabric is integral with the material on the other side of the fabric through the openings in the fabric.

2. The improvement herein described comprising a narrow, elongated strip of resilient asphaltic material in flat slab-like form, of uniform thickness and of comparatively low tensile strength, in combination with stri as of fabric of comparatively high tensi e strength disposed parallel within the body of material and spaced apart, to provide a comparatively thick body of material therebetween, and a thin film of material on each face of the strip, saidfabric strips being in extremely close relation to the surfaces of said body of material, and having an open mesh through the openings of which the body of material extends and is integrally connected with the films of material on the faces of the strip.

3. The process herein described consisting in rolling or. otherwise forming a mass of fabric ancl form a thin film of material on bitumen mto a flat elongated strip of unithe exposed outer surface of said-fabric. 10

form thickness; applying an open woven Signed. at Lawrenceville, Illinois, this fabric strip to each face of said strip and 24th day of May 1916.

5 then subjecting the surface portions of the lI IAROLD B1. 'PDLLAR. v

slab to suficientheat and pressure to melt Witnesses:

the'bitumen and cause it 1130 flow through the E. PULLAR, mesh of and into intimate relation to the A. HOOVER. 

